If I were a Model 1893/1895 Mauser and could talk, I think I would
be mouthing the famous line, "Don't get much respect around
here." Seen as weak actions compared to the Model 98, the
cock-on-closing 93 and 95 Mausers have never been popular in the US,
particularly for sporting conversions. Nonetheless, the nicest custom
.257 Roberts I ever laid eyes on was built on a Model 95 Mauser
small-ring action.

The truth is the Model 93 and 95 actions are very suitable for the
cartridges for which they were chambered, notably the 7x57, 7.65x53 and
6.5x55. More importantly to collectors, many models exhibit some of the
finest craftsmanship and finish ever lavished on a military firearm.

Spanish Debt

We owe the 1893 Spanish Mauser in 7x57 a debt one might not think
of. At the battle of San Juan Hill, 15,000 US troops armed with .30-40
Krags and .45-70 Trapdoors attacked a garrison manned by 700 Spaniards
armed with Model 1893 Mausers. With the rapidity of fire offered by the
clip-fed Mausers combined with the excellent ranging qualities of the
7x57 cartridge, those 700 Spaniards inflicted 1,400 casualties on the
attacking US forces.

It was the wake-up call for the US military, who were forced to
conclude the future lay in clip-loaded Mausers and rimless,
smokeless-powder cartridges. The battle of San Juan Hill may have done
more to promote the development of the 1903 Springfield than any other
single event in history, and to think we ended up paying Mauser a
royalty for privilege of making the "Springfield Mausers."

Boers

In some ways, history was to repeat itself in the Anglo-Boer War of
18991902 when Boer Commandos, armed with Model 1893/1895 Mausers, proved
to be an exceedingly tough match for the Brits. One of the constant
themes of the conflict was the accurate, long-range fire the Boers
rained down on their adversaries. As the Boers would put it,
"Vertroue in God en die Mauser" --"Faith in God and the
Mauser."

The Brits were so impressed by the Boers' 7x57 Mausers, they
went on to design their Mauser-based Pattern 1914 action and a
high-velocity 7mm round (.276) to go with it. Had it not been for the
advent of WWI and the crisis the conflict created in British small arms supply lines, that intriguing combination would have been the official
replacement for the Lee Enfield and the .303 cartridge.

Sleeper

The last great batch of Model 1895 Mausers in 7x57 to come our way
was from Chile. The Model 95 was also adopted by Mexico, Uruguay,
Persia, China, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. In fact, some of
the Chilean Model 95s carry the code "O.V.S.", standing fin
the "'Orange Free State." Reportedly, because of the
success of the British blockades, these rifles never reached South
African shores, were returned to the factory where the Chilean crest was
applied to the receiver ring, and sold to Chile as part of the contract.
Keep you eyes out for them!

The small ring Chilean Model 95 rifle or carbine is a slight
improvement over the Spanish Model 1893. The lower portion of the bolt
head of the Chilean is round rather than being rectangular. The rear of
the follower is milled at an angle so that one can close the bolt on an
empty magazine. The Chilean model features a small shoulder behind the
root of the bolt handle that serves as a safety lug and stabilizes the
bolt in its fully retracted position. The Chilean also features a solid
left receiver wall without the familiar Mauser thumb cut.

DWM

The Chilean was made by DWM, the company that owned Mauser. Owned
Mauser? Yes, Ludwig Lowe & Company of Berlin bought all the Mauser
stock in 1887. Paul Mauser remained as the technical genius of the
Mauser Works in Oberndorf and firearms produced at Oberndorf continued
to carry the Mauser name. Ludwig Lowe & Co., on the other hand, also
fulfilled many of the military contracts including those for rifles,
Luger pistols and Maxim machine guns under their own name. Through a
series of acquisitions including metallic cartridge and powder
companies, Lowe finally changed the Berlin factory name to
"Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken" (DWM).

Like many of the 1891, 1893, 1895, 1896 model Mausers, the Chilean
reflects the high level of German workmanship expended on making a
firearm reflecting as favorably on the producing country as it did
Mauser. Make no mistake about it, Germany's prestige and political
influence in foreign policy matters followed the Mauser contracts
throughout the world. In Chile, for example, a German military mission
was established in Chile, which served as instructors at the Chilean War
College and general advisors until WWI.

The Chilean Model 95 simply glows. The metal surfaces are perfectly
polished. The rust- and fire-blued finishes of the rifle rival those of
any custom work. All essential parts, including the stock, are numbered
to the gun and even the screw heads carry acceptance marks. It's
the type of milsurp you just enjoy looking at for the workmanship
evidenced in each and every one of its individual parts.

While we're all a bit influenced by the mystique of the Model
98, Paul Mauser's earlier models have a fascination and a level of
quality all of their own. Don't pass them by.